The City Council met on September 16, 2024, at 7:00 PM. The meeting included a presentation on the Five Rivers MetroParks levy, introduction of a new public works employee, approval of several resolutions and an ordinance, a variance request, and council comments. All votes were unanimous (7-0) where taken.
2024 City of Andalia Council meeting is now called to order. We'll begin with a moment of reflection, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. Please stand for the pledge. One nation under God, indivisible liberty, justice for all. All right, Council, you've had an opportunity to review the uh council study session minutes of September 3rd along with the council meeting minutes of September 3rd. Are there any comments or corrections? Being none they stand approved, and that brings us to communications petitions and awards, where this evening we have a presentation by Carrie Scarf, the Chief of Planning and Projects at Five Retro Five Metro Five Rivers Metro Park. Let me get it out. I know. Thank you, Mayor and good evening. Good evening, Council. I am here this evening to share with you information about Five Rivers Metro Parks, give you some updates, and let you know that we have a uh a levy on the ballot. So next slide. Five Rivers Metro Parks began way back in 1963 when some foresightful community leaders recognize that there was a lot of a lot of sprawl happening in this area, a lot of development, and formed uh this park district for principally the preservation of open space and then connecting people to the nature within that open space. Next slide. And so our mission as a conservation-based park district here in in Montgomery County is to protect the region's natural heritage and provide experiences that inspire a personal connection with nature. And as children are spending more and more hours in front of a screen daily, spending five hours a day on social media. Um we feel like our mission is is critical to their health and health and well-being as well as that of their families. Next slide. So we have 18 metro parks, uh eight bikeways as part of our regional trail system that's the largest in the nation. And uh of course uh Vandalia has its almost its own metro park with Taylorsville Metro Park, and we've been working with your staff for a few years now to make that connection from the heart of Vandalia directly over to Taylorsville Metro Park with a bikeway, and we're excited that that's gonna be getting underway here soon. Next slide. We have three pillars at Five Rivers Metro Parks, conservation, recreation, and education. In our conservation, by our own edict, 90% of the land that we protect, 16,000 acres, we manage as natural area. And so we're providing forests, uh, wetlands, prairies, to the to the community and to the wildlife that exists here, focusing largely as our name insinuates on the on the river corridors that provide those open space corridors that are so important. Next slide. Through education, um we are teaching kids about nature. Uh as they have fewer and fewer opportunities, and they they don't grow up as many of us did going outside and and playing until the street lights came on. Um using education to get these kids connected to nature as many of us did as children just naturally. Next slide. And then through recreation, we're providing opportunities for families to spend time together outside for um individuals who maybe are considering Dayton as uh a place where they can stay after college or come uh to build their careers, providing outdoor recreation as a as a strong quality of life asset to attract and retain talent in the region, work workforce talent. Next slide. And then events that the community can gather around and build community around nature and around the outdoors, whether it's at Riverscape Metro Park or here at the Midwest Outdoor Experience at Eastwood Metro Park. We provide those events where the community can come together. Next slide. So Metro Parks is about quality of life. And as we have, and I'm sure all of you are familiar with this as local governments, struggle with our budgets. So we will have a levy on the ballot, a 1.0 mil levy on the ballot in November, asking the voters to help us continue to provide that level of service. We feel that Metro Parks is about quality of life in the sense that we do offer an opportunity for physical, mental, and emotional health. And we saw that so much during the pandemic when nature was about the only thing that was open. We offer hiking, picnicking, fishing, cycling, birding, paddling, so many other activities that you can do outside. And so we feel like we offer something for everyone across all walks of life, all ages. Next slide. Of Montgomery County residents, over 300,000 each year make use of the metro parks, resulting in over two million of visits to our parks a year. And 94% of Montgomery County residents are with a 10-minute drive of a metro park. I suspect that everyone in the city of Vandalia between Taylorsville and Englewood is within a 10-minute drive of a metro park. Next slide. Parks that are clean and safe. Essentially keeping Metro Parks at the level of quality that they are now and also putting us in a position to continue to evolve with society and our community as it changes through the years. Next slide.